Is Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey really the most interesting man in sports?

Toronto Star | Jan 9

Is new Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey the most interesting man in sports?

Judging from his riveting news conference on Tuesday, he may be.

Introduced to the Toronto media, the 38-year-old former New York Met and Cy Young Award winner last season, Dickey held reporters in thrall.

This deep thinker proved that there are more than 50 things to appreciate about him.

Using words such as "neophyte" and "metamorphosis" (in a single sentence yet), the knuckleballer could have been a philosophy or literature professor as he gave thoughtful answers and avoided the clichés as pat answers so common in sports.

He talked about eastern philosophy and being an authentic person.

For that reason alone, he is perhaps in a league of his own.

It got us thinking: Who have been the most interesting personalities in sports — the ones who could express a smart opinion and whose views go beyond the world of sports?

Here is our unofficial list, in no particular order, of the most interesting personalities, past and present, in sports.

• R.A. Dickey, the newly acquired Blue Jay pitcher who is as comfortable discussing Beowulf and Tolstoy as he is discussing the mechanics of throwing the knuckleball.